Big crop of doves expected

Sunday

Aug 28, 2011 at 12:01 AMAug 28, 2011 at 1:00 AM

Spencer E. Turner

This year, we are destined to have one of the best dove seasons in recent history. Thatís based on travel around the area, the increased numbers of doves at my bird feeders and a prediction from John Schulz, the Missouri Department of Conservationís dove expert.

He advises hunters to visit MDCís dove management fields before Thurdsday ó opening day of the season ó and purchase lots of shells. Out of 500 doves he and his crew have banded, 400 were young of the year. Those flocks hunters see are mostly young birds, produced during the year.

Weather plays an important role determining production. In a dry year, Schulz says doves can produce up to six clutches of two birds each during the summer. It has been a hot, dry summer.

Thatís the good news. The bad news is that in dry years dove fields planted in sunflowers, wheat and millet grow poorly, producing few seeds to attract birds in the fall. This year this was a mixed problem. In some areas along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, flooding made planting and managing dove fields difficult, if not impossible, and in other areas rains came at opportune times to produce bumper crops of sunflowers.

What does this mean for dove hunters in Mid-Missouri?

My travels suggest most private crop fields, especially corn fields, were planted late and have yet to be harvested. Hunters need to look for old wheat fields harvested in spring with short stubble. When scouting, look for doves flying into fields in the early morning and late afternoon, and look for doves sitting on wires around a field. A biologist once told me for every dove sitting on a wire thereíll be 10 or more using the field.

Davis Dale Conservation Area is a favorite of mine. Theses upland fields require walking to access and arenít handicapped accessible. The largest change this year was not to manage a field along Highway 40 in the bottoms. I suspect high water is the reason.

Franklin Island in Howard County is going to be hot again this year. When scouting Franklin Island, I found hundreds of doves using the managed fields. If you plan to hunt this area, however, wear rubber hunting boots because the fields are muddy.

Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, located south of Columbia, is primarily a waterfowl management area. MDC manages two dove fields and allows limited numbers of hunters. You must check in at headquarters for a drawing and use nontoxic shot. This area, like Franklin Island, attracts lots of doves each fall. My birding trips to the area suggest this year will be no exception.

Plowboy Bend Conservation Area located across the Missouri River from Eagle Bluffs, east of Jamestown has three managed dove fields. Two fields are walk-in, and the third is located near a road for easy access.

Whetstone Conservation Area east of Columbia and just north of Williamsburg, has five fields, several near roads and easily accessed. Because this conservation area is located up on prairie or high flat lands, seed production in the dove fields should have been excellent. The fields attract doves from surrounding private lands.

Maps are available for all of the listed areas as well as for other dove management areas in the state. The key to great dove hunting is how successful managers have been in planting sunflowers early in the year and disking the mature sunflowers in August. For the most part, area managers do a great job, but donít take my word for this. Take a drive and check areas you plan to hunt.